Rail-joint.



No. 797,045. 7 PATENTBD AUG. 15, 1905. 0. BUSH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1905 2 7 If um Qnucnfoz wmmw I CZarZe; BZASZLQ of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BUSH, OF MOUNT ALTO, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO V. L. ROUSH, OF MOUNT ALTO, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed May 15, 1905. Serial No. 260,517.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Alto, in the county of Jackson and State of West Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to provide a simple, strong, and reliable combined rail splice and brace the parts of which are so constructed and arranged as to admit of the joint being readily set up and taken down, thus facilitating the construction and repair of the road-bed in connection with which the improved rail-joint is used.

With the above and other objects in view,

the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the joint, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the double bolt. Fig. 5 is a similar View of the keylock.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawmgs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates abutting rail ends upon the opposite sides of which are arranged fish-plates or splice-bars 2 and 3, each of which comprises an upright portion which bears against the webs of the rails and a base portion embodying an inwardly-extending flange 4, which projects beneath the base of the rail, and an outwardlyextending flange 5, which projects outward considerably beyond the base of the rail, the outer edge of the flange 5 being provided with notches 6 to receive the usual spikes which are driven into the ties, so as to crowd the fish-plates inward against the rails and secure the joint as a whole to the ties. The outer fish-plate 3 is provided along its upper edge with an angular flange 7, which bears against the under side of the head of the rail, as shown in Fig. 3.

Resting against the upright portion of fishplate 3 and extending the entire length thereof is a cushioning-strip 8, preferably of wood, while resting against the outer face of the strip 8 is a washer plate or bar 9, having at its top an inwardly-extending lip 10, which rests upon the cushion 8.

Passing through both fish-plates, the webs of the rail ends, the cushion, and the washerplate are what may be termed double bolts 11, each of which comprises a broad fiat shank provided at one end with a head 12, which projects from the opposite edges of the shank, said head being also thicker than the shank to form the shoulder 13, which bears against one of the fish-plates, as shown in Fig. 3. At the opposite end the shank is provided with a plurality of keyholes to receive keys or wedges 15, which are driven downward through said holes upon the outer side of the washer-plate 9.- The fish-plate is provided with corresponding holes 16 to receive the keys 15 and permit the same to be driven to place. Each key 15 is provided with a head 'or lip 17 at its upper end to limit its downward movement.

Inserted between each key and the washerplate is a key-lock 18, consisting of a strip of metal, the lower end portion of which is approximately of the same width as the key to admit of the same passing through one of the holes 14:. The lower extremity of the key-lock is bent inward to form the lip 19, which engages beneath the washer-plate and prevents upward movement of the strip. The upper portion of the lock is made wider to form shoulders 20, which rest upon the shank of the bolt. After the key has been driven to place the upper extremity of the lockingstrip is bent over the top of the key, as shown at 21, thereby locking the key in position and preventing its escape. The key 15 being wedge-shaped serves to draw the fish-plates tightly against the rails and compress the cushion 8, the elasticity of which sustains all of the parts in a close-fitting relation.

The construction hereinabove described provides a simple; cheap, and reliable rail-joint which acts to tie the rail ends together and also forms an eflicient brace for such ends.

Changes may be made in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rail-joint embodying oppositely-arranged fish-plates, a bolt passing through the rail ends and fish-plates and provided at one end with a head and near the other end with a plurality of keyholes, keys inserted in said holes, and key-locks also passing through said holes and engaging the keys so as to prevent their escape.

2. A rail-joint embodying oppositely-arranged fish plates, double bolts passing through the fish-plates and rail ends, each bolt comprising a head at one end and a plurality of keyholes adjacent to the otherend, a wash erplate, a cushion interposed between the washer-plate and the adjacent fish-plate, keys inserted through said holes, and key-locks consisting of strips passing through the holes and arranged between the keys and washer-plate,

each looking-strip being bent to engage the washer-plate and one of the keys.

3. A rail-joint embodying oppositely-arranged fish-plates, bolts passing through the fish-plates and rail ends and each comprising a broad, flat shank having a head at one end and a plurality of keyholes near the other end, wedge-shaped keys inserted through said 

